Ashes to Ashes
by denise1
Summary: Written for the word of the month, dust. Missing scene to Fifth Race


Ashes to Ashes

By

Denise

Dust.

This is all this planet has to offer. Dust and three structures. The stargate, the DHD and what lured us here, the pedestal inscribed with the same writing as we discovered on P3R272.

We hoped this planet would hold a cure for the malady that is inflicting O'Neill. We also hoped that we could make contact with the Ancients. I fear that is not to be so.

Daniel Jackson refers to them as the builders of roads and believes that they are the creators of the stargates. That is a probable supposition. In my experience with the goa'uld, I do not believe them capable of possessing the knowledge to make the stargate system.

"Captain, there's nothing here," Major Castleman says, causing Captain Carter to look up from her study of the pedestal.

"There's this, sir," she answers, moving to stand on the other side of the object. The pedestal is about four feet high and apparently made of a smooth rock. It vaguely resembles the DHD in its general shape and texture. The top of the device is covered with the same language as we found on the planet.

I know Captain Carter can not read the language, but she is examining it as if in the hope it will suddenly make sense to her and provide the answers she is looking for.

"Yeah, there's this and nothing else," Major Castleman sweeps his arms illustrating the vast stretch of nothingness that surrounds us. He is correct. If there is any other form or structure on this planet, it is not within the view of my eyes.

"Yes, sir, I know but…this wouldn't be the first time that a civilization separated itself from the gate. It would be strategically sound not to have the gate in the middle of the town square," she says. I know what she desires. She wishes to make contact with the Ancients, and if they are not here, perhaps we can locate their city.

"Look, Carter, I know this is O'Neill's best chance but…there's nothing here," he insists.

"Major…"

"We're going to report in, send the MALP back and ask Hammond for a UAV," he says. "If there's anyone around, they're miles away from the gate and we're not equipped for a cross country hike, especially in this heat," he reasons.

Major Castleman has a valid point. The climate of this planet is most extreme. I can see the sheen of sweat on my companions' faces and notice how often they reach for their canteens. Not even I can survive in this climate for a long period of time.

"Yes, sir," Captain Carter agrees. She crossed to the DHD and starts to dial Earth as Castleman and Sargent Keller gather their gear. I can see dejection in her walk. She does not bear defeat easily.

"Aah, Major. We have a problem." I turn to see Captain Carter standing before the DHD, pushing in the panels with increasing force. There is no response. Three of the chevrons are alight but the fourth refuses to engage.

"What's wrong?" Castleman asks, moving to stand beside her.

"I don't know, sir. It just…stopped."'

"Has this ever happened before?"

"No. At least not in mid-dial. Usually if there's a problem it's the seventh chevron that refuses to engage," she says. "Maybe if I pull the power source and try to reset it?"

"Do whatever you have to," Major Castleman orders. "I'm all for a day at the beach but this is a little ridiculous."

"Yes, sir," she responds, letting her pack slide to the ground at the base of the DHD and squatting down to take the side panel off. Trusting Major Castleman and Sargent Keller to guard us, I prop my staff weapon on the DHD and kneel down beside her, hoping that I can be of some aid.

XXXXXXXXXX

I see that Captain Carter's attention is diverted and I follow her gaze.  The previously unknown second star of this system continues its ascent into the sky. I see her pull a square of cloth out of her pocket and place it under her hat, creating a shield of sorts to prevent the sun from burning her exposed skin. It is not my imagination; the temperature is rising steadily. This does explain the lack of vegetation and life forms on this planet. Given the existence of the stargate, it must have supported life at some time, but no longer. I have seen no birds or insects. This planet is telak. As we will be if we can not gain egress.

Major Castleman and Sargent Keller have struck out in search of shelter and water. Without either of these, we shall surely die. I fear, however, that it will be a vain search.

"Has this ever happened to you before, Teal'c?"

"It has not."

"I don't know what's wrong with it." She leans back and takes a sip from her canteen. I can hear water slosh in the plastic bottle. It sounds less than half full. I am aware that she is rationing herself, as are we all. In this kind of heat, the human body requires many times the amount contained in the bottle to survive. "I think the DHD is toast. Can you try a manual dial out?"

"I believe so. What about Major Castleman and Sargent Keller?"

"If we establish contact we can use the MALP to hold the gate open," she says, getting to her feet. "At the very least we can get them to send us some water and re-dial."

I get to my feet and walk to the stargate. The air is so hot it wavers, lending an aura of unreality to this place. It burns as I draw it into my lungs. I can feel it leeching the moisture from my tissues.  The wind occasionally swirls the dust on the ground and I have no choice but to breathe it in. Without water to wash it away, I feel as if it will coat my whole body, inside and out.

I grasp the inner wheel of the stargate, using the raised edges of the glyphs as handles. The naquadah is hot under my hands, hot enough to burn my skin. I search for the first of the seven symbols. Spying it, I pull hard on the inner ring. It is very heavy, but it moves easily.

What I must avoid is making the ring move too fast so that it overshoots the first chevron. It is a skill rather similar to what I have seen on the game show, 'The Price is Right'. The first chevron locks and I hear Captain Carter calling Major Castleman on the radio, summoning him back. The second chevron locks and I begin to feel a glimmer of hope.

"Teal'c! Look out!" I hear Captain Carter call. I look up and quickly step away as the stargate blossoms into life. "It's got to be the SGC," she says, hurrying towards the MALP.

"SG-1 this is Stargate Command. Do you read? Over."

"Do not send rescue team. Repeat, do not send rescue team," she says urgently.

"This is General Hammond. We copy, Captain, where's Major Castleman?"

"He's looking for shelter, Sir. We're in a little trouble here, we can't dial out; the DHD seized up when we tried to send the probe back. Temperature here is increasing rapidly which probably explains why we  
haven't found indigenous life forms. The probe data did not reveal a second sun, which rose about half an hour ago. General, we're gonna get one heckuva sunburn if we stay here much longer."

   
"Can you dial in manually?" the general asks.

   
"Teal'c's attempting a manual dial now, Sir, but we can't do anything with the wormhole open from your end."

   
"I copy that, Captain. If you're not back in one hour we will open the wormhole again for further communication. Good luck, SGC out."

The wormhole snaps shut and Captain Carter gives me a rueful grin. "That was rotten timing."

I nod and grasp the inner circle again. "We can take solace in the SGC having knowledge of our predicament," I say as the wheel refuses to turn.

I turn back to her and see the gravity of the situation in her eyes. "Oh boy," she mutters as she kneels again by the DHD. I get an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach that has little to do with the heat. This is not a good sign.

XXXXXXXXXX

My companions slump under the meager shelter of the Mylar tents. The air coolers the SGC sent do decrease the temperature a bit, but not nearly enough to insure their survival. The humans do not talk to each other, not anymore. They merely stare silently at the deathly bright vista of this planet. Perhaps they are each making peace with their deities? They shall die here, and they are well aware of this fact. Possibly too aware.

Their flesh shall shrivel and burn, cooked by the very air of this planet. The heat will leech the moisture from them, likely reducing them to the desiccated mummies I have seen in Tau'ri museums.

And I shall watch it happen. I shall die last, my symbiote assures me this fate. I shall survive long enough to bear witness to my teammate's last gasping breaths.

I do not know Major Castleman or Sargent Keller as well as I know Captain Carter, however I do know that they are capable warriors. Less than a year ago, they toiled ceaselessly, helping me search for O'Neill and Captain Carter when they were stranded in the Antarctic. They do not deserve to perish in this manner.

I wonder if I should dispose of their bodies or attempt to preserve them? Among Jaffa, once the spirit has left, the body matters not. We dispose of the remains through cremation or using the zatnikatels if we are in a battle. However, I have noticed that humans have an attachment to physical remains. They often place them in large gardens of keeping, what O'Neill terms a cemetery. Or if the bodies are cremated, they keep the ashes. It is a most odd behavior for a race that has no knowledge of the sarcophagus. Why preserve the body of a person if there is no hope of reanimation?

I often see the Tau'ri visiting these cemeteries, using them to have contact with the deceased. It is a most curious behavior for a race that is so skeptical.

"You should drink," I say softly to Captain Carter. The SGC has also sent large quantities of water to sustain us. Water we were at first, eager to consume.

"Just prolong the inevitable," she replies, keeping her voice low.

"Captain Carter?"

"What do you think it feels like?" she asks me.

"Of what do you speak?"

"Going backwards through the wormhole. Trying to leave an incoming wormhole," she explains to my puzzled look.

"I do not know. Your theory states matter ceases to exist."

"Sort of. Matter can't cease to exist. It's probably converted to energy. Do you think it hurts?"

"Having never experienced it, I can not know. Are you contemplating such a maneuver?" I ask her, alarmed at her question. I have never heard such defeat in her voice before. No matter how hopeless the situation, she has never given up.

She shrugs slightly. "I don't know. I…dying is bad enough. Just sitting around waiting for it to happen bites. I mean…how long are we supposed to hold on?"

I sigh and realize that I have discovered Captain Carter's weakness. Her chosen profession is one grounded in science. And in science, there is often absolute answers. Theories are wrong or right, experiments succeed or fail. There is little middle ground. And little to support an attitude of faith and hope. "For the rest of our lives, " I tell her.

She opens her mouth to respond as the stargate activates, causing us all to look towards it. It is not the agreed upon time for communication or supplies.

Leaving the others in the shade, I walk towards the stargate. A roll of paper sails forth and bounces in the dust, coming to a halt at my feet.

"What is it?" Captain Carter asks, joining me.

"I do not know." I open the sheaf and hold it up for her to see.

"That's the DHD," she says, pointing at the drawing.

"This looks to be instructions for repairing the dial home device."

She traces the outlines with her fingers, muttering under her breath. "I think you're right." Tugging at my sleeve she pulls me towards the DHD. She kneels down, placing her hand in the inner workings. I watch as she begins to remove crystals and rearrange wires, all the while muttering to herself, occasionally studying the paper. For the first time in hours I let myself feel hope.

Perhaps I will not bury my friends after all.

Fin


End file.
